Mapping Place-Based Inequalities in Access to Maternity Care (code A1.1_Bedfordshire)

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Inequalities Challenge: Maternity Disparities Consortium (MDC) is proud to announce its PhD Studentship competition. We are seeking the next generation of researchers to help us tackle persistent inequalities in maternity. 

The MDC brings together a UK wide collaboration of universities, NHS trusts, councils, charities, and industry partners. You can find information about our consortium members here. Our goal is to improve outcomes for women and babies before, during, and after pregnancy through inclusive, evidence-based research. 

Capacity Development

The MDC capacity development programme aims to build the next generation of maternity disparities research leaders, strengthen the workforce to deliver and sustain impact across the UK and deliver on the government priorities including the Women’s Health Strategy for England and 10 Year Health Plan for England.  

The Consortium focuses on growing long-term research capacity and expertise, especially within underrepresented disciplines, professions and underserved communities; inspiring and supporting the next generation of researchers with the right skills mix to work across clinical, practice and research sectors.  

The Opportunity

We are offering up to 13 funded PhD studentships across a range of potential projects at universities across our Consortium. We are specifically looking to grow research capacity in methodological areas, including but not limited to, health economics, statistics, trial design, digital research, data science, implementation science and co-production methods where expertise is currently limited. 

Start: January 2027 

Duration: Up to 3 years (Full-Time) or 4 years at 0.8WTE (Part-Time) 

Funding:  

• Full home tuition fees covered (at 2026/27 UK rates). 
• Tax-free annual stipend at UKRI rates (£21,805/£23,805 outside London/ inside London from 1^st October 2026). 
• £5,000 (per award) contribution towards research, travel, training and consumables. 
• International students are welcome to apply but must secure alternative funding for the difference between UK and Overseas tuition fees.

The Project

Rationale: Geographical disparities persist in timely access and uptake of maternity care in the UK. Evidence suggests that women living in areas of higher deprivation, rural or underserved communities, and ethnically diverse neighbourhoods are more likely to experience delayed access and/or insufficient uptake of antenatal and postnatal care (NMPA, 2024; Puthussery et al., 2022; Smith et al., 2020). However, there is limited understanding of how factors such as geographical location, transport accessibility, population characteristics and local service configurations interact to shape access to care during pregnancy, birth and in the postnatal period. Advances in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and spatial analytics provide an opportunity to better understand these patterns and identify areas where unmet need is greatest.

Aim: To examine geographical inequalities in access to and uptake of maternity services across pregnancy, birth and the early postnatal period in England to inform service planning and targeted interventions.

Methods: The project will integrate routinely collected maternity data (e.g. the Maternity Services Data Set (MSDS), Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) and Office for National Statistics (ONS) birth records) with geospatial, demographic and socioeconomic datasets in England. GIS and spatial analytical techniques, including spatial autocorrelation, hotspot analysis, network-based accessibility modelling and spatial regression will be used to explore how access intersects with deprivation, ethnicity, migration status and other social determinants of health. 

Expected Impact: This study will generate evidence on geographical disparities in maternity care access and the intersecting contributors, providing actionable insights to support commissioning and targeted service provision. By identifying areas where women are at greatest risk of delayed access and uptake, the project will enable policymakers, commissioners and maternity service providers to target resources more effectively, optimise service configuration, and strengthen outreach to underserved populations. The findings will support data-driven decision-making, improve access to care, and contribute to reducing disparities in maternal and neonatal outcomes.

Contact Supervisor- Dr Shuby Puthussery : [email protected]

Who is a MDC PhD studentship for? 

We welcome applications from individuals passionate about maternal health equity with particular methodology knowledge and experience. We are committed to building a supportive, inclusive, and caring research community. We particularly encourage applications from: 

• People from underrepresented ethnic backgrounds. 
• People with disabilities, neurodivergent conditions, and long-term health requirements 
• Candidates of all genders, ages, and beliefs. 
• We encourage applicants with experience of a wide range of methodologies to apply if they believe they can bring valuable skills to research on maternity inequalities. If it is not immediately obvious, please use your cover letter to explain how your disciplinary background will allow you to carry out your research. 

Eligibility Criteria

Essential

• First/Upper Second-Class Honours degree (2:1 or above) in a relevant subject.
• A Master’s degree or equivalent in a relevant field. 
• Understanding of and commitment to tackling maternity inequalities.
• Relevant previous research experience – this experience may be relevant to either the research or methodological area. 
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills. 
• Highly motivated. 
• Able to work both independently and as part of a team. 
• Able to plan and manage own work. 
• Quantitative research skills, with experience of analysing complex datasets, ideally including routinely collected data.
• International applicants are welcome to apply for studentships, but applicants who are selected for interview must be able to provide proof of funding for international fees and immigration costs prior to their interview.   
• English language requirement which can be found on individual university postgraduate admission web pages.

Desirable

• Basic knowledge of spatial analysis or epidemiology.
• Familiarity with a statistical software (e.g. R, Stata or Python).

*All students will be expected to be based at their host university and meet the individual university PhD studentship regulations. Please check individual university postgraduate admissions.

Accessibility and Support

We want you to perform at your best. You may contact individual supervisors when asking for more details about the projects and your suitability for the project. General enquiries about the recruitment process and MDC, including if you require any reasonable adjustments for the application process or the interview (such as alternative formats, extra time, or specific technological needs), please contact:  [email protected].  

NIHR and DHSC have a duty as a public body to promote equality of opportunity.  We will contact all applicants throughout the application period with an Equality Monitoring Form. Monitoring ensures that all applications to NIHR MDC Programmes are treated equally in terms of gender, ethnicity and/or disability. Information will be anonymised and stored separately from your application, only be used for the purpose of monitoring equal opportunities and be kept securely and in confidence.